STUDENT STORY

“I came to Lake Superior State University partly because my parents met here. They took me up for a tour and I fell in love with the area. The people here are all really nice, and their political science program stuck out to me. I don’t feel like a number here.

It was hard for the first few months to move away from home. I’m about 5 hours away from where I grew up. It was a big change, but now that I’ve been living here for so long, it’s gotten a lot easier. You definitely grow a sense of individualism and independence once you get away and go to college.

One thing that really surprised me about LSSU was just how open the faculty was. Staff members are constantly going above and beyond their required duties. I’ve seen professors going on hikes with their students. Two of my political science professors came out last year and played in a softball tournament with me and my buddies. They choose to be here because they care about us and what they do.

I was actually studying pre law until last year. I learned through my extracurriculars that I was much more of a people-oriented person. Working independently is not something I enjoy, so I wanted to find something where I could maximize on my talents. Switching my major wasn’t a problem, and I’m excited to see where my political science degree will take me.

Student Government is one of the programs that helped me make that change. I ran for a representative position my freshman year and was lucky enough to get it. Being in that group opened up my eyes to how much I love working with people. For the last two years, I’ve been the president of the organization. Working in that role has helped me become more results and action driven.

Financial aid has really made college possible for me these past four years. Student loans are covering the bulk of my college costs, but a scholarship and a few grants are helping a lot too. I would not have discovered some of my passions if I had to spend all my extra time working to pay for school.

For those thinking about going to college, don’t let the difficulty or cost of school scare you. There are resources available to circumvent those things. There’s going to be people to support you at whatever institution you choose.”

(Dakota, Political Science, Lake Superior State University)